Last chapter for volume 1! Stay tuned for the epilogue! Leave a review! :)
--
Little Wing It
Volume 1
The Holy Light's Blessings On This Wonderful System!
Chapter 5
Kettei no Me
--
I
--
When I came to, my entire body was screeching in pain. I still haven't fully recovered from the successive fights against the Kasch boy and the Bag Degga.
And then this pretty boy in black comes along and hands my ass to me quite handily.
I wearily opened my eyes to see the village still burning, and no sign of the emo creeper and his little boy band.
I guess they just up and left after knocking me out...
Oh, shit, Emilia!
I frantically rose from the ground, snapping my head in random directions, ignoring the sharp pain that came along with my actions.
And out of the corner of my eye, I saw her lying unconscious on the ground a few meters away.
I ran over to her, silently cursing that I let this happen.
When I reached her still figure, I quickly began checking if she was okay.
Thankfully, her pulse seems intact and she's breathing normally. Strange enough, she didn't seem to have gotten any injuries at all from the man in black.
What, did she just faint after I passed out?
Well, whatever. Thank the heavens she's alright.
"Hey, what the heck happened here?!"
A familiar voice, along with the hasty footsteps of two people running, called out to us.
I turned my head back to see Tonnio and Liina rushing over to us, confusion and concern etched on their faces.
They stopped on a dime and stared in complete shock, however, upon seeing the state of the Kasch Village.
Or what's left of it, anyway.
"This is awful... Who did this?"
"They burned a cultural heritage site! Who the hell do they think they are?!"
Seeing as they didn't seem to have any plans on continuing their approach, I gently picked my partner up and put her on my back.
The extra weight almost made me fall over, still a bit out of it, but I balanced myself and made my way over to them.
"A man in black did this, along with a few people. He decimated us easily and left us here."
"A man in black? And he had company? Tonnio..."
"So that's why there were a lot of ships that suddenly flew away! I can't believe we just let them waltz off!"
"We can't do anything about it now... anyway, are you two alright? You look terrible, especially you, Kara!"
Liina asked me, sounding quite worried. I can't blame her, my injuries are quite bad. At this point, I'm just toughing it out.
I didn't seem to have done a good job of hiding it.
"I'm fine... Emilia's unconscious but she doesn't seem to have any severe injuries."
She took a quick glance at the knocked out girl on my back and nodded, seemingly taking my word about Emilia's condition.
She looked like she was about to question me further on MY condition, however.
Thankfully, we were interrupted by a loud beeping sound, apparently emanating from Emilia's wrist.
I pressed the answer button, and a hologram of Kraz popped up from the interface, looking quite miffed.
"Hey! Wurley's ship is on the move! Get your asses over there!"
"Quit shouting! We can hear you just fine!"
It wasn't me.
Kraz seemed a little surprised at the little woman that reprimanded him.
"... and who the hell are you supposed to be?"
"I'm a mercenary who happens to be working with these two. Emilia's unconscious, in fact, she's hurt so try to keep it down."
"Bah! Just like her to get hurt during a mission!"
"Should I give chase, boss?"
Kraz turned his attention to me with an annoyed expression on his face. He looked like he was about to say something rude, but stopped himself upon seeing my banged up state.
He spent a few seconds thinking before sighing slumping his shoulders down.
"... Forget about it. I'll go get him. Fix yourself up and return to Little Wing."
And he cut the transmission without waiting for my response.
I let out a sigh of resignation. Things aren't looking good for my pay...
"Hey. What now?"
Tonnio, seemingly done letting off steam, came on over to us a couple of seconds after Kraz's transmission.
"We'll be returning to Clad 6. What about the Kasch kid?"
"Back on our ship, snoring like a big baby."
"Most of his minor injuries are healed but he doesn't seem to have any plans to wake up soon."
That's right, after all this crazy business, I forgot about the kid until now.
We can't exactly just dump him here. After all, we are the cause of his injuries, even if he was the one who attacked first.
I guess we'll have to take him along with us. I should have told Kraz about it earlier.
"We'll take him back to Little Wing with us. He can get treated further there."
"Alright. We'll carry him with us."
"N-no, it's alright, we can handle it."
Liina raised an eyebrow at me, gesturing to the unconscious Emilia on my back.
Is this how being scolded feels like?
"We can maintain the first aid using our ship's equipment. Just worry about your partner for now."
"O-okay."
"Good."
She smiled in satisfaction, taking the lead back to the parking area. Tonnio, however, flashed me an understanding grin.
It's a good thing Emilia was asleep, or I never would have heard the end of it.
"Don't worry. She gets like that, but she only means well."
"I see. Anyway, do you know how to get to Clad 6?"
"It's the resort colony, right? I'm sure Liina and I can find our way. Come on."
I nodded at him as he started walking towards the direction Liina was currently on.
I began to made my way over as well but I was forced to stop when Emilia's hold on me tightened.
"Kara... don't die... you promised..."
For a while, I thought she had awakened. But when I took a quick glance over to my shoulder where her head was situated, it turns out she was still unconscious.
However, her face was contorted into a pained expression, as if tears could burst out at any time, with her grip strengthening, but not enough to choke me.
It's just as if I'll suddenly disappear if she lets me free even just a bit.
"Y-you promised..."
Ah, really, what am I gonna do with this girl...
I got pulled into this her crazy world reluctantly, but it looks like I'm here to stay.
She's annoying and problematic... but I guess the idea of being her friend doesn't feel as bad as I first thought it would be.
"Shhh.. I'm here, I'm here. It's alright."
"Mmm... good..."
With that, her hold relaxed and her face tensed down and returned to peaceful slumber, her incoherent grumbles lowly dying down into quiet, rhythmic breathing.
I let out a sigh, but without the exasperation that usually accompanies a sigh caused by one Emilia Percival.
Really, what a troublesome partner.
--
II
--
Right after I laid Emilia's unconscious form on one of the ship's mini-beds, I slumped down heavily on my seat, exhaling the largest of breaths.
Everything hurts like hell and I'm dead tired.
The ship was on auto-pilot back to Clad 6 by now, so I have time to get some rest in before mission report.
That's not gonna end well, at all.
First off, we injured one of the locals, even though said local was the aggressor. Those medical expenses are gonna be paid for by the company, though I'm not sure if a portion of our pay will be used for it.
Next, we got completely embarassed by some guy in black, who also burned the Kasch village while we were preoccupied.
And lastly, we didn't even complete our mission in the first place. We managed to locate Wurley Kokov, but it was our boss, Kraz who actually collected the money.
Another sigh. What a complete disaster. He may be used to Emilia screwing things up, but things aren't looking great for a newcomer like me...
Well, I can't do anything about it now.
"Nn..."
I glanced back over to my partner, still dozing off. Doesn't seem like she's planning on waking up soon.
Come to think of it, I still don't know what happened after I passed out.
The guy in black was gone, and so was his little entourage, but I woke up to find my partner knocked out on the floor.
Furthermore, she didn't have any traces of injury anywhere, aside from the minor bruises and cuts she got earlier.
"Did she simply just faint...? 'Tis a mystery..."
"I am able to answer your inquiries."
"Gyah!"
I was abruptly brought out of my musings by the sudden appearance of the Ancient, Mika.
With all the craziness that happened, it'd already slipped my mind that someone from an ancient civilization was sharing a body with my troublesome partner.
In fact, this is is the first time Mika has directly interacted with me since that time she revealed herself back on my first day in Little Wing.
If she felt the need to appear before me again, it must be important.
"I apologize for startling you."
"N-no, it's alright... You were saying?"
"I am able to inform you of what happened to my host."
Oh, that's right. I was wondering what happened to Emilia.
Thinking about it, it kinda makes sense that Mika would know what happened.
I nodded at her to show that I was listening.
"After you were knocked out-"
"Thanks."
"... Emilia immediately attempted to rush to your side. Of course, the man in black did not let her."
Mika paused momentarily because of my interruption, but quickly resumed her explanation. Once she was finished, I felt the familiar annoyance Emilia frequently gives me.
So, she went stupid again. Disregarding her own safety because of me.
Honestly? I really feel like it's my fault.
Mika took my silence as confirmation to continue.
"The man in black attempted to cast a spell, but the energy of it was something I faintly recognize. Thus, I felt the need to interfere."
A spell? So he didn't attempt to knock her out the same way he did to me? Huh... I guess evil... or emo, has standards too.
In all seriousness though, I'm really glad that he did. I'm not sure if Emilia could have taken an attack from him.
His power was insanely absurd.
Although any further musings of mine was cut short by Mika's next statements.
"I have reason to believe that man is an Ancient as well."
"... come again?"
"I suspect the man in black is an out-of-time Ancient, same as myself."
Ah, great. There's two of them now. Chances are, that guy's of the take-over-the-world variety. I guess that explains the ridiculous power and the weird behavior.
Although why a pretty boy Ancient would spend time forming boy bands and burning native tribes is beyond me.
"Emilia lost consciousness from the shock of seeing you knocked out and the spell the man in black used. I took the chance to take over and chase him off."
So that explains why she's practically uninjured despite being out like a light. It also tells me that I have a lot be thankful for to Mika.
"Thanks... for protecting her, I mean. Clearly, I did a shit job of it."
Something flashed in Mika's face upon hearing my words. I couldn't quite put my finger on it... but if I were to guess...
It's something... motherly...?
"Do not sell yourself short, young one. You were doing a splendid job. That man in black was just something you were not prepared for."
"I... I guess... But still, I gotta be stronger."
Mika nodded at me after she heard my response, looking quite proud I didn't begin wallowing in self-pity.
"Anyway, you said that dude was an Ancient?"
"Indeed. Do you recall the device he was holding?"
Come to think of it, he really did have something in his hands back then. We just didn't have the opportunity to examine or ask about it.
What, with him attacking us out of the blue and all...
But from what my memory can tell me, it was a red tablet-like device of some sorts. Partially see-through with lots of codes on its surface.
The benevolent Ancient before me must have seen the mild confusion on my face, because she started explaining what the device was before I could ask.
"It was a Codex. One of three, in fact. They are the keys to opening Maghara."
"Maga what now?"
"... Do you remember Project Renaissance?"
... Oh hell.
Project Renaissance. Some ancient civilization planning to hijack our bodies and our system.
So the guy was already one thirds of the way into basically, the apocalypse. Just a different version from the traditional one.
"Do not fret yet. The other two are significantly harder to obtain. We have much more time than you think."
"Well, that's nice to hear..."
I guess I'm really going to get roped into doing this after all...
Imagine this, Kara Draken, savior of the Gurhal System.
Sounds absolutely stupid. In all likelihood, we're doomed.
"10 minutes to destination."
The familiar electronic voice sounded throughout the silent ship, indicating that we're a few moments away from Clad 6.
Mika looked a bit down at that, but quickly composed herself.
"I'm afraid we'll have to continue another time. There is much to discuss, child."
And then in a blinding, golden flash of light, she was gone. Back inside the depths of the still sleeping Emilia.
I slumped down harder on my seat. Things were starting to become convoluted real fast.
I sigh. It looks like all I've been doing for the past few days was sigh...
Why me? All I wanted was a simple life where I can provide for myself sufficiently. How did ancient civilizations and evil plans get mixed up with a lone wolf mercenary?
Hell if I know.
--
III
--
"Good, you're back."
Kraz said through the comm link, looking gruff as usual.
Turns out we got here earlier than him, so I took the time to bring Emilia to the medics. Tonnio and Liina also arrived as soon as we did and brought the Kasch boy there too.
Without anything to do, I returned to our ship to pass the time away until Kraz contacted me as he did.
"Hey, boss."
"Hn. You've got some splainin' to do. After we take care of your pain-in-the-ass partner. Ya on it, Chelsea?"
He called out to his side, which I assume is where our resident receptionist is.
Chelsea didn't bother coming into view but at least made sure to speak loud enough for me to hear.
"Mais oui. But there are two, non?"
"Two problems for the price o' one..."
"Err, sorry..."
Well, what else can I say?
Thankfully, he didn't push the issue and just shook his head.
"Can't do nothin' 'bout it now. Get to it, Chelsea."
With that, he turned his full attention back to me.
"As for you, meet me in the cafe. I'll fill you in when we get there."
And with that, the transmission was abruptly cut off.
Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be... Of course, I've still yet to find out what he wants to tell me.
Better not make him wait, then.
As soon as I exited our ship, I found myself immediately face to face with a frantic looking Vasque.
"Is it true?! Someone burned down the Kasch village?!"
I backed up quickly after that. I don't know why that got him so riled up but I'm kinda in a hurry.
Vasque looked like he noticed it from the look on my face and tried calming himself down.
Thank god.
"Sorry about that..."
"I-it's fine."
"It's just that, it was a cultural protection zone!"
Hey, I thought he knew I was in a hurry?
I was going to excuse myself but it doesn't seem like he was able to get the hint.
"C-calm down..."
"Err, apologies. I just don't... CAN'T understand how anyone could do something so pointlessly stupid!"
"Me either but..."
"There's a lot we could learn from the Kasch. Their connection to nature, and the things they do with photons... remarkable stuff."
I'm sure it is but let me speak, damn it! Kinda in a hurry here!
"And they went and burned down the central repository of all that tribal knowledge! What part of protection didn't they get?!"
At this point, all I could do was stare at him wordlessly as he panted from because of his outburst.
Well, this is awkward. Vasque seemed to know this too.
"Sorry, didn't mean to yell. I spent some time back in the day studying the Kasch. Guess I took it personally."
"Damn right you did."
This elicited a small chuckle from him. Looks like he's done with his little rant, thankfully.
"By the way..."
Oh no.
"Heard someone had a Kasch boy under their care. That your crew?"
"Well, yeah. The med team's currently treating his injuries."
I made the wise decision of not letting it be known to him that we were the cause of the Kasch kid's injuries.
With that passionate rant earlier, I don't know how he would have reacted. I certainly wasn't going to find out.
"I see... Well, when he comes to, make sure to bring him to me!"
"Sure, no problem."
"Thanks. Anyway, I saw Kraz heading down to the cafe. Don't see him out and about much..."
"Yeah, I was actually called down there by him."
"Oh? Well, by the look on his face, looks like he forgot to bring his sense of humor along. Tread carefully."
Well, that's one way to put it, I suppose...
After a quick thanks and farewell, I made my way to the cafe, and what welcomed my sight was the boss himself, chucking alcohol down his throat.
It took a while before he noticed me.
"Well, ya sure took yer damn time! Hope ya don't mind, I started without you."
He motioned for me to sit down across him, and so I did.
Well, this is awkward. At this point, it's like a broken record now.
"... Want a shot?"
"N-no thanks. I don't drink much."
"Hmph. Suit yerself."
Damn it, I liked my conversation with Vasque better.
Kraz didn't seem to mind, though, downing beer at an alarming rate.
"... should you really be drinking on the clock?"
"Listen, you don't tell me how much to drink while I'm workin' and I don't throw ya outta an airlock. Deal?"
"... deal."
He only smirked at me as a response.
Really...
"Aah, that hit the spot."
And he slammed the empty bottle on the table. It's a wonder the damned thing didn't break.
Then finally, he turned his attention back to me. Well, he's had his revenge, I guess.
"Anywhow, I caught up with Wurley. In addition to the money he owed me, he had quite a story to tell. I'll spare you the details and jump ta the end."
He started to look serious after that.
"Wurley doesn't remember going to Crodog."
W-what?
But he was rig-
Oh whatever, it's probably just the Ancients' bullshit again. That is, if I were to take Mika's word that the man in black was one.
Kraz didn't mind my pondering and continued his debriefing.
"One day, he's minding his own business and the next thing he knows, he's standing in the middle of a burning village. I've known him a long time and he ain't the kind of guy that makes up shit like that."
Well, that's certainly something. Perhaps it's why the black-clad guy's entourage looked like zombies or something.
Anyway, Kraz doesn't seem that bothered by it, grabbing another bottle and popping the lid.
"Well, all I care about is getting my money back, which I did. You did a good job, considering what I gave you to work with. Keep it up."
At the very least, it's nice to be praised.
And with that, he left the cafe, telling the bartender to put it on his tab.
Said bartender could only sigh as she wrote something down.
Well, I understand the feeling...
IV
"Ah! Kara! Over here, please!
The Boobie La- Chelsea called out to me from her counter.
I was wandering around the sector, as without my partner, there's not much to do.
I tried sleeping, but I just couldn't, for the life of me.
Well, whatever. I made my way over to our receptionist.
"The boy who Emilia mumbles about in her sleep has come! There is something I wished to tell you, yes?"
Ugh, that girl. Causing troubke for me even while asleep.
Chelsea giggled at my reaction, which was a facepalm, before getting on with what she wanted to tell me.
"You see, since you have come, Emilia is smiling much more than before. I wished to thank you, merci!"
"Huh? Wasn't she like that before? She's basically a kid..."
Chelsea tilted her head my answer. I felt like doing the same.
What's my arrival have to do with Emilia's smile count?
"Quoi? You think she was always so cheery? Excitable, perhaps, but not so smiley, ever. It is true!"
"I don't follow...?"
"When she first came to the pub where I used to work... ooh la la! Hopeless!"
I'm... not sure I know what to make of that.
Emilia's not hopeless now but...
It's close.
"Just when I thought we might make a worker of her, the pub goes under. Ploop! Then she went with Monsieur Boss. She never said as much, but I think it was very hard for her, no?"
"I'd figure. I know how Kraz can be... geez."
"Yes! The two of them, they did not get along! Like a... a smelly dog and a little kitty!"
I... what?
It's fitting, in a sense, I guess.
I'm having too much fun of how Chelsea tells things.
If I had a heart, I'd probably have a wide smile by now.
Well, I do, but it's as black as my favorite type of coffee.
... creamy with a lot of sugar.
"But how the little kitty has grown since you came! Much nicer now, I assure you. Many more smiles, oui."
I'm still not sure I understand how I'm responsible for any of that, if it were true. I'm not exactly an expert on the ways of the E-M-I-L-I-A.
Well, let's just agree to disagree.
"You take care of her for us, s'il vous plait! But do not make her cry, or we will take care of you!"
"...! Y-yes ma'am!"
She giggled in response.
W-what was that?!
I'm not sure, but there was, for a split second, a terrifying amount of killing intent in the air!
I looked back to Chelsea and she looked far from threatening.
... I better be careful around how I act around her...
"Oh! There goes your little kitty now!"
I glanced behind me, and indeed, there she was, wandering around lazily like nothing happened.
Some people...
"Hey, Emilia."
"Hm? Oh, hi."
What an incredibly unenthusiastic response. It's almost lackluster, now.
I raised an eyebrow at her and she looked at me like I grew wings or something.
I couldn't resist rolling my eyes.
"Pfft? What are you doing?"
Which she found funny, for some reason. Well, I'm glad she's fine, at least.
"Oh yeah, I heard boss called you down for a talk. Was he steaming or what?"
"Huh? Not more than usual, no. Why would he be mad?"
"Hm? No reason. Just that when he calls me in, it's usually not for a pat on the back"
I should probably not tell her that Kraz called me in for a job well done.
I don't know, it's just a feeling.
"Listen, there's something I want to talk to you about. Something private. Meet me on the ship, 'kay?"
And there she goes, off on her merry way.
"Ooh la la! A private talk! What could it entail, I wonder?"
"... what."
Ah, whatever, might as well get it over with.
I made my way over to the transporter, trying my best not to notice Chelsea's ear-reaching smile.
Basically, heading to the ship to escape the shipper.
I found my partner sitting at the pilot's seat of our ship, spinning said seat towards my direction upon noticing my arrival.
"I wanted to talk to you about what happened at the Kasch Village."
She looked quite pleased with herself after that.
Setting that aside, I wonder what she wanted to speak about. I got knocked out pretty fast upon getting there, after all.
Something before that?
"Is it about my eyes?"
"Ye- wait, what? No... Huh? Come to think of it, didn't your eyes go weird back there?"
"What weird? How should I know? It's not like I had a mirror."
"Well, they started glowing bright red, and then you suddenly jumped high! I almost though we were flying!"
"I remember that part... Are they still glowing now?"
"No, they're back to normal. Huh, that was weird."
Weird, indeed. I'm not think too much about it, though. It saved our hides, so I'll just be grateful.
Emilia had a lost look on her face before suddenly peking up, realizing something.
"Hey, that's not what I wanted to talk about! Stop distracting me!"
She distracted herself pretty easily, if I may. Stop blaming me.
"So what did you want to talk about?"
Emilia calmed herself right after that and brought her head down, all that joking mood from earlier gone in an instant.
... what is this?
"... I fought the man in black, didn't I?"
Oh.
Oh crap. Looks like Mika won't be able to hide herself forever.
So, what now?
Do I just tell her?
"Sigh... Well, yeah, I guess you did."
In a way, I wasn't lying, was I?
She laughed bitterly at this.
"I... felt my body move, but it wasnt like I was in control. It felt like a dream... But if the man in black was there, and and the attack on the village really happened... then it must all be real, right?"
"Yes, all too real."
Before we had a chance to be shocked at the sudden third voice, the ship was bathed in a golden light, blinding us momentarily.
And when I opened my eyes once more, right beside Emilia was the Ancient, Mika.
--
V
"At last, you are ready to acknowledge my presence."
Well, Mika certainly loves grand entrances, doesn't she?
Since this isn't my first meeting with her, I was able to keep my cool. It still felt trippy as hell, though.
Unfortunately, I can't say the same about my partner.
"W-who are you?! Were you... i-inside of me?!"
"Hey, calm down, Emilia!"
"Calm down? CALM DOWN?! A person came out from me and you tell me to calm down?! Why aren't you freaking out about this?!"
Geez, stop screeching!
"Calm down first, then we'll explain!"
"We?! You KNEW?!"
This is all happening in front of a completely bewildered Mika, mind you.
If I was the Ancient ancestor, I'd be disappointed too, honestly.
"Okay, okay... I'm calm, I'm calm. You were saying?"
Well, I thought she'd never. Putting that aside, I gestured to Mika to continue, and she nodded at me.
Not before a second of delay due to shock.
"My name is Mika. I am one of the people you call the Ancients, and I live within you."
Right after that, Emilia started losing her balance, and started clutching her head.
I hurried over to keep her from falling down.
"W-what is this...?! It's like a rushing inside my head!"
Mika, collected as ever, made a gesture as to calm us, specifically me.
"I am sharing my memories with Emilia. It is a far better way of explaining things."
"... couldn't you have done that with me before?"
"My apologies, but I could not. You are not my host."
"... right."
As if on cue, Emilia jolted forward, the memory-sharing seemingly over.
She was noticeably paler than a few minutes ago. Mika noticed this too.
"No, this can't be happening...!"
"I understand your doubts, but I assure you, this is all very real."
"If his plan works, he's going to kill us. He's going to kill us all!"
Well, that's Project Renaissance in a nutshell. In all honesty, I might have had the exact same reaction.
So I can't say I blame Emilia for losing her cool.
"If you consider the body a vessel, and the mind a life, then yes, that life will be snuffed out."
She went silent after that, quietly and slowly slumping down to the ground.
This is getting worrisome.
"... Emilia? You okay?"
"... It's true... that means... the relic site... it's all real..."
Her face morphed into a horrified expression as she seemed to slowly realize something.
Emilia's lips were quivering, tears threatening to fall down as she started looking at me.
"Y-you took my place... You died instead of me... BECAUSE of me...!"
"Emilia, I..."
I... what?
What exactly do I say in this situation?
Damn it, why did things get so complicated? It was much more simpler hunting dragons!
"Forgive me for forcing all this on you. I will go now. You need time to take it in. When you're ready, call me and I will come."
And just as suddenly as she appeared, Mika the Ancient was gone, like a light fading out after one final burst.
Which left me and my partner alone, words seemingly too hard to come by.
After a while, Emilia picked herself up and got back on her feet, but her mood didn't improve whatsoever.
Which is understandable.
"... It was real. All of it."
"Yeah."
"You died protecting me."
"... yeah."
"If... if I had been more careful, more ready... You wouldn't have needed to sacrifice yourself."
"You tried to tell me but did I listen? I haven't thought about anything, anyone but myself."
"I'm right here, aren't I? Don't worry about it."
And then I immediately felt the urge to punch myself.
"How can I not worry about it?! Someone died because of me! YOU died because of me! How can I live with that?!"
I'm no empath, but I can practically FEEL the self-loathing. She's killing herself over this, and can I blame her?
I've said it before, she's no mercenary. She's just a sheltered little kid.
"... I've always said I don't like fighting. That I'm not right for this job... But that doesn't matter anymore."
Emilia straightened herself out and looked at me with determined eyes.
Kettei no Me, in the old Neudaizian language.
"I want to learn how to fight, and I want you to teach me."
"Yeah, I understand if you wanna qui- wait, wha?!"
Did I hear that right?!
She wants ME to teach HER how to FIGHT?! You gotta be joking!
Emilia didn't seem to be fazed by my outburst however, and maintained the seriousness she had.
"I know that's asking a lot but it's important to me."
"Wait, wait, wait, no need to go to any trouble on my account, you know? Why don't you think this over first? There's a lot you had to tak-"
"No, I want to do this! I'm still scared of fighting, and I doubt I'll ever like it. But I won't let you down!"
I was going to refuse her.
There is no way I was gonna take on such a responsibility.
I looked at her extremely determined expression, and I didn't think there was anything I could say that would dissuade her from trying to play hero.
It goes without saying that life as a mercenary was dangerous. Trying to stop an Ancient madman from hijacking the entire system? Even more so.
Of course I'd refuse to train her.
But one look at her pleading but intense stare, desperately wishing to not be a hindrance to me or anyone else...
I thought I saw a little of myself in those determined eyes.
ooo000ooo
And that was the day one Emilia Percival became my student, along with being my partner.
My name is Kara Draken.
And this is the story of how me, a snarky teenage beastman, along with a lazy prodigy girl, a naive tribesboy, and a redhead with growth issues...
Well, one thing led to another and we ended up saving the entire Gurhal System.